Jet fuel crunch hits summer

Airlines are heading into the summer travel rush with too little jet fuel in parts of Europe and Asia, and some have already started cutting flights. (independent.co.uk) The International Air Transport Association said on April 17 that cancellations in Europe could begin by the end of May for lack of jet fuel, and that the problem was already showing up in parts of Asia. Its warning followed an International Energy Agency assessment that flagged potential shortages. (iata.org) The first cuts are no longer theoretical. The Independent reported that Scandinavian Airlines planned to cancel 1,000 flights in April, KLM said on April 16 it would cancel 160 European flights in the coming month, and Lufthansa said it could ground as many as 27 planes. (independent.co.uk) Airlines are also pushing higher fuel costs onto passengers. Air France-KLM said long-haul fares would rise by 50 euros per round trip, and Air India shifted to a distance-based fuel surcharge instead of a flat domestic fee. (independent.co.uk) The squeeze lands just as travelers usually wait for late deals. The Washington Post reported on April 22 that reporters and officials were urging travelers to book early for the first half of peak season because fares were rising and flexible, last-minute bargains were getting harder to find. (washingtonpost.com) This shortage is not only a price story. Reuters reported on April 22 that the European Union was considering rules to require member states to hold jet-fuel stockpiles and to redistribute supplies during regional shortages after the Iran war exposed how thin the system had become. (reuters.com) Europe entered this spring with a weaker buffer than it used to have. An International Air Transport Association brief published in November 2025 said refinery closures had left the region more dependent on imported jet fuel and more exposed to supply shocks. (iata.org) That helps explain why a disruption far from most vacation airports is hitting summer schedules now. The Independent reported that the Iran war had tightened fuel supplies and pushed prices sharply higher, while routes between Asia and Europe that relied on Gulf hubs were also under pressure. (independent.co.uk) There is some emergency backfilling from outside the region. Reuters reported that U.S. jet-fuel shipments to Europe were projected near 200,000 barrels a day in April, a record that softened the blow from missing Gulf supply but did not erase the risk of shortages. (reuters.com) For travelers, the calendar is now part of the fare. The cheap-and-flexible booking window that usually stretches into late spring is narrowing first on Europe and Asia routes, and the next test comes as airlines decide how many seats they can afford to keep flying into May and June. (washingtonpost.com)